Russia’s playbook for taking Ukrainian cities needs more troops than Russia has
Russia knows how to take a Ukrainian city. Around Kramatorsk it does not have the infantry to run the method.
Russian forces employ a consistent strategy to capture Ukrainian cities, surrounding the cities on the flanks while infiltrating the middle. However, this approach demands simultaneous execution, and Russia currently lacks the necessary infantry. As Ukrainian units hold key positions, Russian troops must divert resources to protect them, causing delays elsewhere.
The strategy relies on pressure from flank attacks and infiltration to weaken the garrison's logistics, followed by a final assault through a created lodgement. But this method only functions when both flanking and infiltration units operate together effectively. Russian center group of forces on the Kramatorsk front is experiencing this weakness, as they fail to execute both tasks concurrently.
Vitaly, a mapper and analyst, believes the strategy's failure is due to a lack of manpower rather than tactical innovation. Despite recruiting around 30,000 fresh troops monthly, Russia struggles to replace monthly losses. Ukraine's commander-in-chief estimates Russia's force at 721,300, with only a 11,000 increase since late 2025.
Meanwhile, Russia has lost 30,000 to 35,000 troops monthly. If Ukraine continues to defeat Russian attacks, it may force Russian regiments to shuffle troops between units to recover losses, further undermining their combat power. This constant reallocation of resources creates stalls throughout the front, making it challenging for Russian formations to maintain pressure on enemy supply lines and secure lodgements.
The lack of synchronization within the Russian forces exacerbates the issue, slowing their advance and ultimately prolonging the conflict.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
